Methods are known for producing commercially important olefins, such as ethylene and propylene. Such methods include steam cracking, propane dehydrogenation, and various refinery catalytic cracking operations. Each of these procedures has one or more disadvantages. For example, propylene yields from steam cracking typically are not very high, and usually are not substantially improved by recycling. Also, purification of non-propylene products may be required, which can be costly, and such products usually have only fuel value. Propane dehydrogenation processes usually are characterized by rapid catalyst coking, which can require frequent, costly regenerations. Also, reasonable conversions typically require sub-atmospheric pressures, and propane can be difficult to separate from propylene. Moreover, propylene supplies from catalytic conversions are uncertain, and transportation and/or purification can present problems.
Also, many current chemical processes produce t-butyl alcohol and/or methyl t-butyl ether as side products.
Therefore, methods are desired that convert t-butyl alcohol and/or methyl t-butyl ether to ethylene and/or propylene, especially methods that do so in an efficient, cost-effective, and/or facile process.